A lot of work and little sleep? This is not a reason to be proud!

Jason Fried (Jason Fried), founder and head of Basecamp, author of Getting Real and Remote, shared in his blog to Medium thoughts on why lack of sleep due to work - that's no reason for boasting, and dangerous habit. We present you with a translation of his article.

No matter what conference I have played, I always try to listen to other speakers. And lately I've been increasingly caught the dubious statements: many entrepreneurs boast that hardly sleepIt is working 16 hours a day. And it sounds as if lack of sleep - a necessary component of success: to hell with rest, we have too much work!

And I think that message is extremely harmful for any business. Continuous depletion - this is not a rite of passage, a sign of stupidity. Scientists suggest that the results of IQ-tests are reduced with each passing day, in which you sleep less than normal. So in thinking abilities difference will become apparent very quickly.

People working 16 hours a day, exhausted, so much so, that do not see how it harms their work. The person who is asleep is not enough to endanger not only their own health and creativity, he is a bad influence on others. When you sleep little, you become impatient, rude. You find it difficult to focus and understand what you are trying to convey, you find it difficult to negotiate with people.

Sleepless managers are terrible, and not least because of the bad example which they serve. Why hire a brilliant staff, if you plan to wear down their unconscious? If the purpose of long hours of work to do more, but it is important for you and the quality of work, how can you encourage a lack of sleep? People who do it, too tired to think ahead.

One of the arguments in favor of the long hours of work, when you are just starting a business, you have to give him everything. I understand that feeling, and no doubt there is some truth.

But here is what I see: people can not stop and continue to work in the same mode. We are slaves of habits. You began to follow the habit to pick up the case and can not withdraw from it. You work 16 hours at the beginning and start thinking that this is the only way to keep the business afloat. I saw so many entrepreneurs who were burned by following this rule.

Why is it so important, especially when you form the habits, sleep a lot?

You'll think better, become a good colleague and boss. Sleep is necessary for creativity, sleep is needed to solve the problems, and is not that what you so need to work on?

Your brain works while you sleep, he ponders the questions that you could not solve during the day. Healthy sleep is essential if you want to wake up with fresh ideas in his head, not with the bags under his eyes.

Yes, sometimes there are emergencies that require additional working time, yes, sometimes time is running out and it is necessary to make a breakthrough in the work. It happens, and that's okay, because your attrition will be temporary and not permanent. Such cases should be the exception rather than the rule.

Ultimately, the dream is more important work. If you do not believe me, think about the fact that without a dream you die faster than without food. After all, if such there are many problems that must necessarily be resolved during your 12-, 13- or 16-hour day? Surely most of them can wait until morning.

Sleeping a lot and hard, work 40 hours a weekAnd everything will be fine!